{"id":1127,"date":"2013-03-23T17:20:10","date_gmt":"2013-03-24T01:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/metalassault.com\/gig_reviews\/?p=1127"},"modified":"2013-03-28T05:12:07","modified_gmt":"2013-03-28T13:12:07","slug":"earth-rocker-north-american-tour-raises-hell-in-hollywood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/metalassault.com\/gig_reviews\/2013\/03\/23\/earth-rocker-north-american-tour-raises-hell-in-hollywood\/","title":{"rendered":"Earth Rocker North American Tour Raises Hell In Hollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Avinash Mittur
\n<\/strong>(photos by April Edwards)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>March 21st 2013, House of Blues, Hollywood, CA:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> When you were in school, there was always one kid who was the definition of perfect. They were well-liked, had flawless grades, were involved in every activity under the sun, and somehow seemed to stay on top of everything with barely a sweat broken. At the school of rock, Clutch is that kid. Even if you don’t like them, there’s a level of obligatory respect and admiration that comes just from hearing them do what they do. Every one of their albums carries a unique identity, and yet they each stand tall as mighty slabs of music.\u00a0 The live shows are legendary, with a random set list making the rounds night after night, and greasy jams worming their way into the songs. A Clutch show isn’t merely any old rock concert, it’s a religious experience. For the past few weeks, Clutch have been preaching the good word to audiences across the United States with fellow stoner rock stalwarts Orange Goblin, Lionize and Scorpion Child in tow. Clutch’s stop at the House of Blues in Hollywood was an all around great night of heavy rock music and of course, contained yet another impeccable show from this great band.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>First up was Scorpion Child<\/strong>, who delivered a rousing set before a depressingly sparse crowd. The band had recently returned from a hometown performance at SXSW, and now they had to win over Los Angeles. Singer Aryn Black was the biggest factor in turning the small gathering on the floor into Scorpion Child fans. His powerful wails complemented the band’s old school Iommian riffing perfectly, and his energy was bountiful. Drummer Shawn Alvear was also a standout, beating his poor kit to a pulp with every hit and often being given small drum showcases throughout the set. With each song the small audience began to applaud more and more, and confusion and disappointment were the reactions when Scorpion Child ended their set on a surprisingly understated note.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Clutch fans should know Lionize<\/strong> fairly well by now, considering how often the two opt to tour together. It’s a good thing then that Lionize offered a great time to the growing, but still unfortunately small House of Blues crowd. The long, drawn out jams were often exciting and electric, with stellar organ playing from Chris Brooks driving the action. Bassist Henry Upton was also a treat to watch and hear, his nimble and busy playing complemented Mel Randolph’s funky beats perfectly. Clutch’s Tim Sult joined the band to add some wah-drenched licks during the middle of the set, and his presence failed to be an obtrusive distraction. All in all, Lionize delivered a very enjoyable set that fit the stoner rock theme of the night wonderfully, and their large applause from the now solidly packed crowd was well earned.<\/p>\n

The final support act of the night was a rare treat for American audiences- Britain’s Orange Goblin<\/strong>. The gang of stoner rock veterans went and unleashed their burly brand of meat and potatoes rock and roll upon this poor mostly 30-something year-old audience. Singer Ben Ward was the centerpiece of the show, constantly stomping about the small stage and jumping down to the photo pit to hang with fans when he could. The man was a truly joyous presence to watch onstage, and his voice was in fine form too. Guitarist Joe Hoare and bassist Martyn Millard could mostly be seen headbanging away, letting Ben do the legwork. What really impressed me was how well Martyn’s tone and playing kept the sound full and present during Joe’s solos- there was never a point when Orange Goblin had a thin sound during this set. The long extended psychedelia of ‘Time Travelling Blues’ was cool, but the best came with the high-octane steamroller that closed the set, ‘Red Tide Rising’. Though it opens Orange Goblin’s latest record, A<\/em> Eulogy for the Damned<\/em>, the track worked wonderfully as the closer and gave a blazing finish to a kick-ass set.<\/p>\n

Orange Goblin Set List:<\/strong>
\n1. Scorpionica
\n2. The Filthy & the Few
\n3. Some You Win, Some You Lose
\n4. Time Travelling Blues
\n5. Your World Will Hate This
\n6. Acid Trial
\n7. They Come Back (Harvest of Skulls)
\n8. Blue Snow
\n9. Quincy the Pigboy
\n10. Red Tide Rising<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Last up was the greatest rock and roll outfit to roam this Earth, the one and only Clutch<\/strong>. The last time these guys headlined in California, they did a couple of off-dates from their tour with Motorhead. These two shows were in San Luis Obispo and Sacramento, the former of which I was lucky enough to attend. That tour was in support of Strange Cousins from the West<\/em>, arguably Clutch’s weakest record but the show still managed to be very memorable. That being said, this show utterly obliterated<\/em> that one I saw a little over two years ago. When a Clutch show opens with the immortal pair of ‘Big News I’ and ‘Big News II’, you know you’re in for one hell of a set. Frontman\/poet laureate of rock and roll Neil Fallon sang with confidence and conviction then, but this night saw him possessed by a borderline demonic presence. His voice was the strongest and gruffest I’ve ever heard him sing, and his theatrics and energy onstage were over the top in a way that only he could ever pull off. This wasn’t Neil Fallon the grizzled bluesman as many have seen in the last few years, this was Neil Fallon the bearded reverend from hell. And for Neil, this Thursday night in front of a few hundred music fans may as well have been Sunday morning before a gathering of ignorant heathens. It helped that a huge chunk of the set was devoted to the high-energy material from Earth Rocker<\/em> and not a single track from Strange Cousins<\/em> made its way here.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>As with literally every Clutch set under the sun, most fans walked out hearing something new and the familiar staples as well. The yuppies got their ‘The Mob Goes Wild’ and ‘Electric Worry’, while the die-hards were treated to a rare reading of ‘A Shogun Named Marcus’. Hollywood was even offered a special guest appearance with Eddie Veliz from local hard rock act Kyng joining the band for ‘Burning Beard’. As always, Jean-Paul Gaster went and showed the crowd why he is one of the best drummers in the world with a powerful, dynamic and popping performance. He even threw in a short drum solo at the end of ‘Gravel Road’, which thankfully didn’t overstay its welcome. Tim and bassist Dan Maines remained anchored to their stations as always, though Dan in particular offered monster grooves during every track. Among the newer songs, ‘Crucial Velocity’ and ‘Unto the Breach’ were fiery highlights, but the most badass track of the twenty song set was easily ‘D.C. Sound Attack!’ Tim’s absolutely gargantuan riffing, coupled with Neil wielding a harmonica and a cowbell made what was already a phenomenal track on Earth Rocker<\/em> into a total monster live. These guys are crazy if they don’t throw this song into the rotation for the rest of their careers.<\/p>\n

Clutch Set List:<\/strong>
\n1. Big News I
\n2. Big News II
\n3. The Mob Goes Wild
\n4. Profits of Doom
\n5. Earth Rocker
\n6. D.C. Sound Attack!
\n7. Unto the Breach
\n8. Cypress Grove
\n9. Power Player
\n10. The Regulator
\n11. Crucial Velocity
\n12. Gravel Road
\n13. Burning Beard (w\/ Eddie Veliz from Kyng)
\n14. The Face
\n15. Pure Rock Fury
\n16. Gone Cold
\n17. Electric Worry
\n18. One Eye Dollar
\nEncore
\n19. A Shogun Named Marcus
\n20. The Wolf Man Kindly Requests…<\/p>\n

All in all, there was hardly any complaints one could level against this show. The sound was fantastic all throughout the night, the bands were all perfectly chosen for this package, and of course, the 90 minutes from Clutch are some of the best live music one may ever hear. Fans on the West Coast are especially encouraged to attend this tour- Clutch don’t headline around here too often, so fans would do best to catch the band while they can. Hell, Orange Goblin are a rare delight in and of themselves, so fans even on the fence about this tour should get their asses to their local ticket vendor and secure their attendance right away. This stop at the House of Blues in Hollywood was an outstanding show by any measure- stay tuned for our report from the San Francisco show on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

Related:<\/strong>
\nSF\u00a0gig review<\/a><\/strong>
\nLA photo gallery<\/a><\/strong>
\nClutch interview<\/a><\/strong>
\nOrange Goblin interview\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>
\nClutch ‘Earth Rocker’ album review\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Avinash Mittur (photos by April Edwards) March 21st 2013, House of Blues, Hollywood, CA: When you were in school, there was always one kid who was the definition of perfect. They were well-liked, had flawless grades, were involved in every activity under the sun, and somehow seemed to stay on top of everything with … <\/p>\n

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